Tips to make finding a spot in shopping center safer and less stressful

With some time to kill on your half-hour lunch break from work, you head over to the mall to grab a last-minute Christmas gift.

But when you get to the parking lot and see tons of cars but no open spaces, you realize everyone else had the same idea.

Now it gets frustrating.

You find a space, but someone coming the other way grabs it first. You can't pass through the next row because some kids are playing in it while their parent packs the car.

You give up and decide to grab that gift after work.

Frustration waits around every turn in holiday season parking lots, and stressed drivers means more errors.

"There's more activity, there's more distractions, there's more traffic in parking lots," said Larry J. Cohen, a board member with the International Parking Institute and executive director of the Lancaster Parking Authority. "You don't want to be in an accident. You don't want to have door dings."

Here are some tips to make your holiday parking safer and less stressful:

•Manage expectations: Knowing what you're in for is half the battle. During holiday shopping season, heavy traffic, fewer available parking spaces and more distracted people are the norm, not the exception. Expecting a mess before you get to the parking lot will make you less prone to frustration.

•Leave extra time: Since you're expecting parking lot stress, why not leave some extra time to do your shopping? You won't want to be running late because you can't find a parking space.

•Be courteous: Tensions are already running high during holiday shopping, so it's best not to add to the stress with parking lot disagreements. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Don't block spaces. Don't take up more than one parking spot. Don't park so close to another vehicle that the door can't be opened.

•Pay attention: There's a lot more going on in parking lots during the holidays than during other times of year. People often have children with them. People are sometimes thinking about shopping instead of watching where they're going. Be the one paying attention so no one gets hurt. Don't drive or walk while texting, talking on the phone or checking receipts or lists.

•See where you're going: Shopping means boxes and bags - lots of them. And all those packages can pile up in carts or in front of rear windows making it harder for drivers and pedestrians to see. Be aware that the vision of others might be restricted and do what you can so you can see.

•Compromise: Do you really need that spot right next to the store? You might avoid a lot of stress by going to a low-demand spot on the outskirts of the lot first rather than trying for a closer one. Less driving around to look for a space also means more time to shop, less money spent on gas and fewer emissions polluting the lot.

•Stay legal: Park in marked spaces only. And don't take handicapped parking spaces unless you have a permit to do so. It's illegal and hurts the people who need them.